The Vanished Lu Xiaofeng! Turning the Tables!

"According to intelligence from former colleagues, that guy was still throwing money around at Xianyu Tower a few days ago. He even slept with their top courtesan."

"Why did he disappear the moment we arrived?"

Li Gexiao searched Xianyu Tower from top to bottom but found no trace of Lu Xiaofeng.

Still unwilling to give up, he summoned the madam for questioning and learned that Lu Xiaofeng had left with the constables several days ago and had not been seen since.

"Constables from the yamen?"

Chu Yang shook his head helplessly. "What law did that bastard break this time? Let me make this clear first: if he’s been thrown in prison, I’m not bailing him out. Let him reflect on himself in there. Damn it, he’s embarrassing."

Li Gexiao nodded in agreement.

The madam, skilled at reading people, sensed the nobility about Chu Yang. She thought to herself that it would be wonderful if she could attach herself to such an extraordinary young master.

She smiled softly. "I’m afraid you misunderstand, Young Master. Master Lu was invited away by the constables. It seemed they had an important matter and needed his help."

"What help could a slippery drunkard like him possibly provide?" Chu Yang sneered disdainfully.

"Please don’t say that, Young Master. That fellow is quite capable at solving cases and is quick-witted in his dealings. He’s no worse than the Four Great Constables of the Six Doors. It’s perfectly normal for the yamen to seek his help." Li Gexiao grinned.

"So we have to make another trip to the yamen?" Chu Yang waved lazily. "You go ask around yourself. I’ll rest here for a while."

"Of course. You rest, and I’ll be back soon." Li Gexiao answered before hurrying away.

The madam immediately arranged a superior room for Chu Yang. He reclined halfway on the bed, and after some time, a group of courtesans carrying instruments entered the room and began to play.

Meanwhile, Li Gexiao arrived at the Jinling City yamen and witnessed a strange sight.

In broad daylight, the yamen gates were tightly shut.

Puzzled, Li Gexiao stepped forward and knocked. After a long while without any response, he had no choice but to beat the grievance drum beside the entrance. With a creak, the gates opened a crack, and a head appeared behind them, cautiously studying him.

"Who are you? Why are you beating the drum?"

"I came here to find someone. No one answered, so I had to beat the drum."

"Who are you looking for at the yamen?"

"Lu Xiaofeng."

Upon hearing Lu Xiaofeng’s name, the person behind the gate let out a shriek and ran toward the inner courtyard. As he ran, he shouted, "My lord! Someone has come looking for Hero Lu!"

Seeing his strange behavior and attitude, Li Gexiao felt a bad premonition.

Thud, thud, thud.

Hurried footsteps rang out.

The yamen gates suddenly swung open. A middle-aged man in official robes stood before Li Gexiao with a group of runners behind him.

The middle-aged man had an imposing bearing and a naturally stern presence. After giving Li Gexiao a glance, he said in a deep voice, "I am the magistrate of Jinling City, surnamed Xu. May I ask who you are, and what your relationship is with Hero Lu?"

Li Gexiao replied, "Lu Xiaofeng is my friend. Magistrate Xu, you may speak plainly."

Magistrate Xu sighed. "To be honest, Hero Lu has been missing for several days. I have searched for him for a long time, but there has been no clue."

Li Gexiao frowned. "Missing? That fellow comes and goes without a trace. It’s possible that he simply left Jinling City. How can you so readily conclude that he has gone missing?"

Magistrate Xu gave a bitter smile. "Because the seventh young master of the Jiangnan Hua Family, Hua Manlou, disappeared with him. Young Master Hua has yet to return, and the Hua Family has been searching for him for days!"

"Hua Manlou?" Li Gexiao mused. "How did those two end up together?"

Magistrate Xu hesitated, as though he had some misgivings.

Li Gexiao pulled out a token from his waist and handed it to Magistrate Xu. Xu took the badge and only needed one glance before his entire body froze as if struck by lightning. Beads of sweat rolled down his pale face.

"An Embroidered Uniform Guard badge… My lord, you’re actually an Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Magistrate Xu looked desolate, as if he could already see the future of his family being exterminated.

"Stop talking nonsense. Explain at once why Lu Xiaofeng disappeared!" Li Gexiao stared coldly at the terrified magistrate.

"Hero Lu disappeared because he was helping me investigate a case."

"What case?"

"It is a long story. Starting a month ago, a strange phenomenon began appearing in Jinling City."

"Many people in the city began losing their vital essence for no reason. From eighty-year-old elders to children only a few years old, men and women alike all suffered from this condition."

"At first, I thought demons or a Great Demon had arrived, so I reported it to Divine Marquis Manor overnight. But the people sent by Divine Marquis Manor found nothing unusual and could only return empty-handed."

"After the constables from Divine Marquis Manor left, strange occurrences began happening in the city again. It so happened that Hero Lu arrived then. The Jianghu says Lu Xiaofeng is exceptionally clever, so I commissioned him to investigate the case."

"He quickly discovered a lead. The source of the strange illness in the city was actually Datong Bank’s banknotes!"

"Those banknotes carried a strange demon power that devoured people’s vital energy!"

"This matter also alarmed the Jiangnan Hua Family, the shareholders behind Datong Bank. The seventh young master, Hua Manlou, personally came to Jinling City to investigate. If the truth cannot be uncovered and the Hua Family is accused of colluding with demons, the outcome will be the extermination of all nine clans!"

After hearing the full story, Li Gexiao said, "So Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou joined forces to investigate the demon power behind this case. Before they could solve it, they both disappeared?"

Magistrate Xu nodded with an ugly expression. If the two truly vanished without a trace, not only would he be charged with dereliction of duty, but the Hua Family might also make things difficult for him.

Li Gexiao asked, "Do you know where they were last seen?"

Magistrate Xu shook his head. "I don’t, but Manager Qian of Datong Bank may know."

Seeing that Magistrate Xu knew nothing when asked, Li Gexiao left behind only the words, "Take care of yourself," and departed.

The moment Magistrate Xu thought of the other man’s Embroidered Uniform Guard identity, all strength left his body. He collapsed limply onto the ground.

After returning to Xianyu Tower, Li Gexiao followed the madam to Chu Yang’s room. He stood outside the door, hesitating over whether to enter. What if the prince was in the middle of something? Wouldn’t going in now be courting death?

The next moment, he heard Chu Yang’s voice.

"If you have something to say, get in here already. Why didn’t Lu Xiaofeng come back with you?"

Li Gexiao pushed open the door and saw Chu Yang reclining alone on the bed. Several courtesans were packing up their instruments, and as he entered, they quietly slipped out of the room.

"I thought Your Highness was busy." Li Gexiao gave a wicked grin.

"Busy my ass. Those courtesans sell their art, not their bodies. Do you think I’m like that Four Eyebrows fellow, jumping on every woman I see?" Chu Yang replied contemptuously.

"Ahem. Your Highness, I have bad news." Li Gexiao wiped the smile from his face and said solemnly, "Lu Xiaofeng seems to have run into trouble."

Chu Yang spoke carelessly. "When has that guy ever not caused trouble?"

"This time may be different." Li Gexiao shook his head and told Chu Yang everything that had happened in Jinling City.

Chu Yang immediately rose and headed outside. "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s meet this Manager Qian. My instincts tell me that fellow definitely has a problem."

"If we’re late, I’m afraid that Four Eyebrows fellow might really be dead."

In the original story, Manager Qian of Datong Bank had been a traitor. Now that demons were involved and the plot had gone off the rails, Chu Yang feared there might be further complications.

The two hurried without pause to Datong Bank. After waiting briefly, a servant led them into the main hall, where they met Manager Qian.

The man had a huge belly and was decked out in jewels. The air of a vulgar nouveau riche hit them the instant they met him. His steps were unsteady, his complexion waxy yellow, and his body showed obvious signs of severe depletion.

Seeing him like this, Li Gexiao initially thought he was also a victim. But remembering Chu Yang’s words that the man had a problem, he immediately found something suspicious.

Chu Yang smiled, as though he had discovered something interesting.

Manager Qian seemed to have received word that Li Gexiao carried an Embroidered Uniform Guard badge. His attitude toward them was extremely courteous, and he answered nearly every question.

After all, no one in the world dared impersonate an Embroidered Uniform Guard while handling a case. It was a grave crime: at best, one would be thrown into the imperial prison; at worst, executed on the spot.

Manager Qian recounted every detail of his contact with Lu Xiaofeng and mentioned a particularly unusual place.

"Hero Lu’s investigation into the demon qi on the banknotes went quite smoothly. He quickly traced it to a place called Paradise Pavilion. He said the banknotes had come from there."

"Paradise Pavilion has an extremely mysterious origin. No one knows where it is, and ordinary people cannot find a way there. So Hero Lu asked a friend to take him."

"That man is named Sikong Zhaixing, known in the Jianghu as the King of Thieves. He knows many unorthodox methods. He disappeared with Hero Lu and Young Master Hua. As for whether they reached Paradise Pavilion, I do not know."

"Like all of you, I have received no news."

Li Gexiao frowned. "Did he tell you how to get to Paradise Pavilion?"

Manager Qian answered, "There is a mass grave outside the city, filled with coffins. Pick any coffin and lie down in it. When midnight comes, someone will naturally carry you to Paradise Pavilion."

The instincts Li Gexiao had developed from years of solving cases made Manager Qian seem increasingly suspicious. He clearly knew so much, yet he had not told anyone—not even Magistrate Xu, who knew nothing when asked.

Li Gexiao examined Manager Qian from head to toe, making the man extremely nervous. He did not dare meet Li Gexiao’s eyes.

"If that is the case, then we shall not disturb you any longer…"

Li Gexiao cupped his hands toward Manager Qian and was about to take his leave when Chu Yang pressed a hand on him.

"The sun has already set. Why not let us stay at Datong Bank for a while? Manager Qian, how about you personally take us to that mass grave?"

"We just arrived in Jinling City and aren’t familiar with the area. I’m afraid we might miss the right time and fail to reach Paradise Pavilion."

Chu Yang wore a friendly smile.

Manager Qian hurriedly nodded. "Naturally. It was my oversight. Please follow me, gentlemen. Have something to eat and rest for a while."

Chu Yang and Li Gexiao were arranged in a guest room. Before long, Manager Qian had someone bring them a table full of fine food and wine.

As usual, Li Gexiao tested the food for poison first. Only after confirming it was safe did he allow Chu Yang to begin eating.

"Don’t worry about poison in the food. He isn’t an idiot. If the two of us died at Datong Bank, how would he explain it to Magistrate Xu?"

Li Gexiao did not argue. He had been cautious by nature for too long and could not change it overnight. Once the food had gone down, he asked curiously, "Your Highness, what exactly is strange about Manager Qian?"

Chu Yang said, "He has demon qi on him."

Li Gexiao was instantly shocked. "How did I not sense it?"

Chu Yang explained, "His demon qi isn’t floating on the surface of his body. It seeps out from his very bones, and there is very little of it. Naturally, it would be difficult for you to notice."

Li Gexiao said gravely, "He’s a Demon Person?"

Chu Yang shook his head. "Strictly speaking, not yet. He is merely developing in the direction of becoming a Demon Person, but he’s only one step away."

Li Gexiao drew his saber and rose, saying indignantly, "A scourge like this, one who betrays humanity—I will personally cut him down!"

Chu Yang pressed a hand downward, signaling him to sit. "If you kill him, who will take us to Paradise Pavilion? If we don’t go to Paradise Pavilion, who will save that bastard Lu Xiaofeng?"

Li Gexiao sighed deeply, sheathed his saber, and sat back down. He picked up the wine jug and poured it into his mouth. Though he was not from Divine Marquis Manor, whose duty was specifically to eliminate demons, he still wished to kill more demons and monsters and do something for the country and its people.

Chu Yang tapped the tabletop with a finger and said softly, "The reason Paradise Pavilion is so difficult to find is likely that it relies on an array formed by natural terrain. An ordinary grand array would be manageable; we could simply break it with force. What I fear is an illusion array, where we cannot even find the entrance."

"Now, if we want to find Paradise Pavilion, we must first enter the array using their method, then break the array from within."

Chu Yang reminded him, "When we reach the mass grave and lie in the coffins, have that wolfhound follow closely behind."

Li Gexiao nodded. "I understand. I already had Xiaofeng wait outside the city."

Chu Yang paused. "Who is Xiaofeng?"

Li Gexiao scratched his head awkwardly. "That’s the name I gave the big wolfhound. Doesn’t Xiaofeng sound imposing? Is it not good?"

Chu Yang decisively shook his head. "It’s not good. Wangcai would be better. A proper good dog should be called Wangcai."

"Wangcai…" Li Gexiao hesitated, thinking that name was nowhere near as good as Xiaofeng—and besides, it was a wolf, not a dog…

"You think Wangcai doesn’t sound good?" Chu Yang narrowed his eyes at him.

"It sounds good!" Li Gexiao shuddered. "For Your Highness to bestow it a name is Wangcai’s blessing!"

Chu Yang said coldly, "Don’t let it get lost while following us. Otherwise, when I return, I’ll stew it!"

Night gradually fell, and the moon shone amid sparse stars.

A knock sounded at the door.

Manager Qian’s voice came from outside.

"My lords, it is time to set off."

Set off?

Chu Yang and Li Gexiao exchanged a glance.

"This dog really knows how to talk."

"Maybe that’s what he truly thinks."

Chu Yang did not care and pushed open the door to walk out. Li Gexiao, however, was different—he immediately gave Manager Qian a vicious tongue-lashing.

"This lowly one is clumsy with words. I beg the two lords to forgive me!"

Manager Qian fell to his knees in terror and repeatedly kowtowed, appearing utterly terrified of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

The corner of Chu Yang’s lips curled up.

This man really could act!

Perhaps from the very moment Chu Yang and Li Gexiao stepped into the bank, he had been hoping they would go to Paradise Pavilion and die.

"Hurry up and take us there. Don’t delay important business!"

Chu Yang casually pulled him up from the ground, leaving a spell mark on him in passing.

Manager Qian nodded frantically and led Chu Yang and Li Gexiao out of the bank, where they boarded a carriage that had long been prepared.

The carriage traveled out into the night.

Because strange incidents had been occurring frequently in Jinling City lately, the city gates were heavily guarded. No one was allowed to leave after curfew, but Manager Qian merely got out and spoke to the soldiers guarding the gate for a few moments before they let them pass.

When Manager Qian returned to the carriage, Chu Yang looked at him with a faint, knowing smile.

Manager Qian smiled. "General Qi is currently away from Jinling City, leading the Qi Family Army in battle elsewhere. The county clerk is temporarily in charge of the city gate defenses."